Downloading mp3s....

[djj6835]

Inspired by the recent "Is this unethical.." post, I wanted to ask you guys a question

I actively download mp3s, but In my case I don't see it as stealing. Before I had the ability to download music I literally never purchased CDs. I was just tired of buying entire albums with one good song along with a bunch of filler. Now that I can download music I am able to preview entire CDs and then if I like it I will go out and purchase it. This is why I am now getting very frustrated at the current legal battle against downloading music. It's just kind of annoying to hear artists complain about mp3s knowing that in my case, the only way they will get any of my money is if I have the ability to download their music. In the back of my mind I just feel that the real reason artists are so upset over this whole p2p thing is that they actually need to have more than a couple good songs to sell an album. In a sense it is forcing people to put out higher quality music. Does anyone else use the ability to download music for the same reasons? If so, do you also feel the same way regarding atists complaints about p2p networks?

[swede123]

Back in some ethics class I took we learned about a list of tests that you can run by a situation to see if it's ethical, things like the "light of day" test - would you do the same thing if you were featured on the evening news doing it, and the "grandmother" test - would do you do the same thing if your grandmother knew about it.

The point of all this is that one of the tests was "is it legal?" If not it doesn't fly as ethical. I'm sure many people can think of good counter arguments for this one, but for most situations I think it's a pretty good criteron for determining this kind of stuff.

Swede

[djj6835]

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The point of all this is that one of the tests was "is it legal?" If not it doesn't fly as ethical.

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I've always been of the opinion that legality and ethics down't always agree. There are many things that are illegal, but not unethical, and others that are legal, but unethical IMO.

For example, speeding is illegal, but if you are speeding to rush a seriously injured person to the hospital then I wouldn't call it unethical. On the other hand, smoking is completeley legal, but smoking around small children is unethical. Just my opinion.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
Inspired by the recent "Is this unethical.." post, I wanted to ask you guys a question

I actively download mp3s, but In my case I don't see it as stealing. Before I had the ability to download music I literally never purchased CDs. I was just tired of buying entire albums with one good song along with a bunch of filler. Now that I can download music I am able to preview entire CDs and then if I like it I will go out and purchase it. This is why I am now getting very frustrated at the current legal battle against downloading music. It's just kind of annoying to hear artists complain about mp3s knowing that in my case, the only way they will get any of my money is if I have the ability to download their music. In the back of my mind I just feel that the real reason artists are so upset over this whole p2p thing is that they actually need to have more than a couple good songs to sell an album. In a sense it is forcing people to put out higher quality music. Does anyone else use the ability to download music for the same reasons? If so, do you also feel the same way regarding atists complaints about p2p networks?

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What do you do with the MP3s when there's only one good song on the album? Do you delete them all after you've reviewed them, or do you keep the one good song and then don't buy the album?

[djj6835]

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What do you do with the MP3s when there's only one good song on the album? Do you delete them all after you've reviewed them, or do you keep the one good song and then don't buy the album?

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I don't download the "good" song in the first place because I already know I like it. I just download the rest of the CD. If I don't like those songs then I don't purchase the CD. I do just delete the song I downloaded if I don't like them. However I don't delete them if I went out and purchased the CD. I like to have them on my computer so I can have the CD elsewhere, in my room, car, et. Is this somewhat unethical to keep the songs on my computer even if I purchased the CD? I suppose I could just copy he songs from the CD onto my computer, but I'm just too lazy.

[RunDownHouse]

The whole point is that there used to be a cost associated with your actions: the price of the music. Now that the cost has been removed, of course you're going to download the music. I'm willing to bet that the value of the music you download isn't zero; for instance, if you could buy entire albums for $.50, would you do it? How is buying, say, a bootleg CD at a discounted price illegal and unethical, but downloading it for free isn't?

This, "Well, its not like they'd get my money in the first place" argument just doesn't hold water.

[djj6835]

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This, "Well, its not like they'd get my money in the first place" argument just doesn't hold water.


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Hmmm, I think you missed the point of my post. This isn't the argument I am making at all.

[Easy E]

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This, "Well, its not like they'd get my money in the first place" argument just doesn't hold water.


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Hmmm, I think you missed the point of my post. This isn't the argument I am making at all.

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Maybe I'm still having problems with reading comprehension, but that's how I interpreted this statement
Before I had the ability to download music I literally never purchased CDs. I was just tired of buying entire albums with one good song along with a bunch of filler

[djj6835]

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This, "Well, its not like they'd get my money in the first place" argument just doesn't hold water.



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Hmmm, I think you missed the point of my post. This isn't the argument I am making at all.


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Maybe I'm still having problems with reading comprehension, but that's how I interpreted this statement
Before I had the ability to download music I literally never purchased CDs. I was just tired of buying entire albums with one good song along with a bunch of filler



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I assume what rundownhouse meant is this....

People make the argument that downloading music is fine because if they didnt have the ability to download then they just wouldn't listen to it. In other words they weren't going to purchase the CD anyways regardless of whether they can download the music or not, therefor they aren't taking any money from the artists by downloading music.

What I'm saying is almost the exact opposite. The only way they artist will will get my money is if I can preview it first. Otherwise there is no way I am purchasing a CD. The main difference between the two is that I'm still paying for all the music I own, but using the ability to download as a way to decide whether I want to make the purchase or not.

[Easy E]

What I'm saying is almost the exact opposite. The only way they artist will will get my money is if I can preview it first. Otherwise there is no way I am purchasing a CD. The main difference between the two is that I'm still paying for all the music I own, but using the ability to download as a way to decide whether I want to make the purchase or not.

And as I said in another reply, if this service- previewing music through MP3s- is offered for free, then it's acceptable.

If it's supposed to require an investment to get this service, then it's not acceptable.

Do you see that the price for a CD would have to be about $200K if people could borrow songs from the one CD that is made?

I know it's an extreme, ridiculous scenario. But the point is the same.